Machine for turning-in the edge of a piece of flexible sheet material, especially a textile fabric

ABSTRACT

The machine comprises: a structural frame; a plate for supporting the piece of material with respect to said frame at least along the border to be turned-in; an insetting device adapted to fold at right angles the border to be turned-in by means of a movement in a direction at right angles to said plate; a folding-back device adapted to turn back in a flat position against the support plate the border of the piece of material which has already been folded at right angles, by means of a movement parallel to said plate; and means for displacing the support plate in its own plane in the direction of displacement of the folding-back device in order to free the turned-in piece of material.

United States Patent 1191 Guichard [11] 3,823,935 1451 July 16,1974

[ 1 MACHINE FOR TURNING-IN THE EDGE OF A PIECE OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL, ESPECIALLY A TEXTILE FABRIC [75] Inventor: Jean Guichard, Yerres, France 1 [73] Assignee: Centre DEtudes Techniques Des Industries De LI-Iabillement, Paris, France 22 Filed: Mar. 22, 1972 21 Appl. No.1 235,782

521 US. Cl. 270/61 R,1l2/264,l12/265, 223/37 51 1m. 0...; ..B65h 45/00 58 Field ofSearch 270/61-62,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 834,011 10/1906 Leffler 156/480 1,745,775 2/1930 Tarbox Sokolow 270/67 2,262,480 11/1941 Waters 156/227 2,794,482 6/1957 Ganz 1. 270/67 3,031,185 4/1962 Brien 270/61 Primary Examiner-Wm. H. Grieb Assistant Examiner-A. J. Heinz Attorney, Agent, or Firm'Richards & Geier [57] ABSTRACT which has already been folded at right angles, by I means of a'movement parallel to said plate; and means for displacing the support plate in its own plane in the direction of displacement of the folding-back device in order to free the turned-in piece of material.

13 Claims, 52 Drawing Figures PATENTED Jul 5 SHEET 03 0F 22 sum user 22 3 u 68 5 U L PATENTED JUL 1 51974 m 5 0 3 pl/l/lf lf PAIENTED l 5 I974 saw us or '122 PATENTED JUL 1 5:914

SHEET 09 0F 22 PAIENTED JUL 1 s 1914 3.823.935 sum 10 0f 22 r PATENTED L 5 74 SHEET 13 0F 22 8m v W5 v am Juusxsn PAIENTED SHEET 18 0F 22 3 823 935 PATENIEDJUHBW 3.823.935

SHEET 17 0F 22 PMENTEU JUL 1 6 974 sum mar 2 

1. A machine for turning-in the marginal portion of an opening in a workpiece of flexible fibre material, said machine comprising: a frame (1), a horizontal support plate (218) carried by said frame and provided with an aperture the dimensions of which are those of the opening in the workpiece after said marginal portion has been turned-in, said support plate being split into a plurality of segmentary plates surrounding said aperture, said support plate having a top surface, an under surface and an edge around said aperture, said support plate being adapted to support said workpiece laid flat upon its top surface with the said marginal portion overhanging said edge, an insetting ram (57 or 301) with an end face mating with said aperture, means moving said ram vertically into and out of said aperture to fold said marginal portion downwardly at right angle to said plate, a plurality of folding back members (56, 57 or 311, 311a) mounted on said ram, means moving said folding back members horizontally under said under surface of said support plate from a retracted position to an expanded position for flattening against said under surface, said marginal portion already turned down at right angle, said folding back members moving means comprising pressing means (13, 302) pressing said folding back members upwardly toward the under surface of said support plate to press said marginal portion against said under surface, counterplates (12) located above said support plate, means (123, 128) reciprocating said counter-plates vertically and comprising power means pressing said counter-plates against said top surface of said support plate, and displacement means moving said segmentary plates in their common own plane away from said aperture to release said turned-in marginal portion.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said insetting ram and said folding-back members consist of structural members having an upper edge and means pivoting said members about horizontal axes along their upper edges.
 3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said insetting ram consists of a solid punch and said folding-back members form a counter-punch having an end face corresponding to said end face of said insetting ram in retracted position of said folding-back members.
 4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said folding back counter punch consists of two main parallel membErs having a rectangular cross-section and internal faces facing one another, the extremity of said internal faces of said main members being bevelled, said folding back counter-punch further comprising two prisms having the shape of isosceles triangles fitting between said bevelled extremities.
 5. A machine according to claim 4, further comprising a support, said two main members and said two triangular prisms being slidably mounted on said support in two perpendicular directions, restoring spring means for urging said main members and triangular prisms together, and central cams for urging said main members and triangular prisms against the force of said restoring spring means.
 6. A machine according to claim 3, wherein said machine further comprises a knife, and means slidably mounting said knife within the interior of one of the two elements constituted by said punch and said counter-punch.
 7. A machine according to claim 6, wherein said knife consists of a plate having a cross-section in the shape of a double Y and said insetting punch consists of two parallel main members having a rectangular cross-section and internal faces, the extremities of said internal faces being bevelled, said insetting punch further comprising two auxiliary members in the form of prisms having the shape of isosceles triangles fitted between said bevelled extremities, said knife being slidably mounted between the opposite face of said main and auxiliary members, the structure of said counter-punch being similarly made up of two main and auxiliary members between which is left an interval at least equal to the thickness of said knife.
 8. A machine according to claim 7, wherein said knife consists of a blade having a cutting edge, said blade having a decreasing length from the extremities of the arm of each Y to the mid-point of the length of said cutting edge.
 9. A machine according to claim 6, further comprising vertical guide means rigidly secured to said structural frame, rod means slidably mounted within said vertical guide means, said insetting punch being carried by said rod means, further vertical guide means rigidly secured to said structural frame, further rod means slidably mounted within said further vertical guide means, said knife being carried by said further rod means, a drive shaft rotatably mounted in said structural frame, cams carried by said drive shaft, and a lever system operatively connecting said rod means and further rod means to respective cams on said drive shaft.
 10. A machine according to claim 1, wherein said insetting ram and said folding-back members consist of structural members with an upper edge and having an L-shaped cross-section and means for pivoting them about horizontal axes along the upper edges thereof, said machine further comprising folding back member restoring spring means, vertical guide means rigidly secured to said frame and rod means slidably arranged within said vertical guide means, said insetting ram, said folding back members and said support plates being carried by said rod means, said machine further comprising further vertical guide means rigidly secured to said frame, further rod means slidably mounted within said further vertical guide means, and a wedge secured to said further rod means and capable of displacing said folding back members in opposite direction to the force of said folding back members restoring spring means.
 11. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising vertical guide means rigidly secured to said frame and rod means slidably mounted within said vertical guide means, said insetting ram, said folding-back members and said support plate means being carried by said rod means.
 12. A machine according to claim 11, further comprising a common drive shaft rotatably mounted in said structural frame, cams carried by said common drive shaft, and a lever system operatively connecting said cams to said sliding rod means.
 13. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising a common support, said workpiece supporting plate means comprising two C-shaped plates in oppositely facing relation and capable of sliding on said common support under the action of said displacement means. 